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Galaxy S4 preorders open, carrier availability and pricing revealed

Galaxy S4 preorders open, carrier availability and pricing revealed
  • Posted April 17, 2013, 3:30 PM by Matthew DeCarlo | Filed in Mobile Computing
  • With more than a month having passed since the Galaxy S4's grand unveiling, Samsung and its partners are gearing up for the device's availability next week by sharing launch information for the US. By the end of next month, the Galaxy S3's successor should be available through...

The first cell phone call was placed 40 years ago today

The first cell phone call was placed 40 years ago today
  • Posted April 3, 2013, 10:02 AM by Shawn Knight | Filed in Mobile Computing
  • It may be hard to believe but the first ever cellular phone call was made 40 years ago today. The call was placed by Martin Cooper, a Motorola employee at the time, on Sixth Avenue in midtown Manhattan. Interestingly enough,…

Lenovo reportedly in talks to purchase NEC's mobile phone division

Lenovo reportedly in talks to purchase NEC
  • Posted April 1, 2013, 7:00 AM by Shawn Knight | Filed in Mobile Computing
  • NEC is looking to jettison their struggling mobile phone division after two straight years of losses. The move would help the Japanese company increase profitability despite the fact that they have said until now that it’s an important part of…

Samsung Galaxy S4 estimated to cost $233-$236 in parts

Samsung Galaxy S4 estimated to cost $233-$236 in parts
  • Posted March 20, 2013, 6:30 PM by Matthew DeCarlo | Filed in Mobile Computing, Industry News
  • Samsung's Galaxy S4 costs between $241 and $244 in parts and manufacturing expenses depending on the model, according to a preliminary "virtual" teardown of the device performed by iSuppli based on the official specs. In other words, the group hasn't…

Galaxy S4 touts 5" 1080p display, tons of new features, coming April

Galaxy S4 touts 5" 1080p display, tons of new features, coming April
  • Posted March 14, 2013, 7:40 PM by Matthew DeCarlo | Filed in Mobile Computing Breaking News With Video
  • Following months of rumors, teasers and leaks, Samsung took the stage in New York City this evening to unveil the Galaxy S4. As you'd expect, the device brings many improvements to the Galaxy S3 and could become the market's leading handset according to analyst chatter...

Weekend tech reading: Firefox OS backed by phone makers, carriers

Weekend tech reading: Firefox OS backed by phone makers, carriers
  • Posted February 24, 2013, 11:46 AM by Matthew DeCarlo | Filed in NATW
  • Laying the groundwork for its nascent Firefox OS, Mozilla has won over a sizeable list of allies including LG Electronics and China Unicom, and the first phones with the browser-based operating system should arrive in the second quarter of the year. Mozilla announced today...

Weekend Open Forum: Do you still wear a watch?

Weekend Open Forum: Do you still wear a watch?
  • Posted February 22, 2013, 6:31 PM by Matthew DeCarlo | Filed in WOF
  • There isn't a week that goes by where we don't hear about how the rapid adoption of smartphones and tablets are displacing other technology segments. For many folks, a competent high-end handset can comfortably replace various portable media players, dedicated gaming handhelds...

Rhino Shield makes Corning's Gorilla Glass up to five times stronger

Rhino Shield makes Corning
  • Posted February 14, 2013, 5:30 PM by Matthew DeCarlo | Filed in Mobile Computing With Video
  • Corning's Gorilla Glass does a fine job of keeping smartphones relatively safe against typical bumps and scrapes, but given how common it is to hear about cracked displays, there's obviously plenty of room for improvement. Hoping to provide such an advancement, two enterprising...

Thursday tech deals: Refurbished Galaxy S III $30 w/ contract

Thursday tech deals: Refurbished Galaxy S III $30 w/ contract
  • Posted January 10, 2013, 2:30 PM by Matthew DeCarlo | Filed in Tech Deals
  • With activation of a new two-year contract, AT&T offers the refurbished Samsung Galaxy S III 4G in Marble White or Pebble Blue for $29.99 with free shipping. That's $20 under a new one two weeks ago and $100 below the lowest total price we could find for a new unit today...

Survey: 25% of computer users debating on going tablet-only

Survey: 25% of computer users debating on going tablet-only
  • Posted December 20, 2012, 6:33 PM by Matthew DeCarlo | Filed in Industry News, Mobile Computing
  • Although some reports of the so-called "post-PC era" have been greatly exaggerated, there's no denying that we're amidst a shift where many people are ditching their desktops and laptops for less capable, but more mobile solutions. For a certain chunk of users -- around a quarter...

Samsung tops Nokia in cell phone shipments, Apple in smartphones

Samsung tops Nokia in cell phone shipments, Apple in smartphones
  • Posted December 19, 2012, 8:00 AM by Matthew DeCarlo | Filed in Mobile Computing, Industry News
  • Samsung is poised to overtake Nokia as the world's top cellphone brand this year, according to iSuppli's preliminary 2012 forecast. The researcher has published its expected rankings for the top five handset OEMs with Samsung accounting for 29% of the…

Amazon's sub-$200 smartphone now rumored for mid-2013, Foxconn scores contract

Amazon
  • Posted December 17, 2012, 4:30 PM by Matthew DeCarlo | Filed in Mobile Computing, Industry News
  • Rumors about an Amazon-branded smartphone have been swirling for the better part of a year, and although the company hasn't confirmed anything, a new report suggests that the device is on track for release sometime next year, roughly two quarters behind the previously-speculated...

Amazon CEO gets deployable airbag patent for portable devices

Amazon CEO gets deployable airbag patent for portable devices
  • Posted December 14, 2012, 8:30 AM by Matthew DeCarlo | Filed in Industry News, Mobile Computing With Video
  • While many companies are working to develop sturdier materials and smarter designs to help protect devices from hard impacts, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and co-inventor Gregory Hart have been cooking up less elegant solutions. The duo received a patent this week that outlines...

Casio unveils rugged G'zOne Type-L smartphone with barometer

Casio unveils rugged G
  • Posted October 18, 2012, 7:30 AM by Matthew DeCarlo | Filed in Hardware, Mobile Computing
  • Casio has unveiled the latest version of its rugged G'zOne smartphone series, introducing new features geared toward outdoor enthusiasts such as an integrated barometer. On paper, the Type-L seems familiar enough: it packs a 4-inch 800x480 IPS touchscreen, a dual-core…

Asus unveils PadFone 2 Android smartphone/tablet hybrid

Asus unveils PadFone 2 Android smartphone/tablet hybrid
  • Posted October 17, 2012, 8:30 AM by Matthew DeCarlo | Filed in Hardware, Mobile Computing
  • We've seen countless attempts at hybridizing tablets and notebooks, but few manufacturers have taken that consolidation to the next step by using a smartphone as a primary computing device that attaches to various accessories that transform the handset into a…

Weekend tech reading: Windows Phone 8 "Apollo" hits RTM

Weekend tech reading: Windows Phone 8 "Apollo" hits RTM
  • Posted September 16, 2012, 12:11 PM by Matthew DeCarlo | Filed in NATW
  • Chalk up another one for those Windows Phone tipsters. Back in July, I heard whispers that Microsoft would release to manufacturing (RTM) the Windows Phone 8 operating system in September. The plan, as of then, was that the first Windows Phone 8 devices would ship...

Weekend tech reading: Mozilla teases something big for Android

Weekend tech reading: Mozilla teases something big for Android
  • Posted June 24, 2012, 1:53 PM by Matthew DeCarlo | Filed in NATW
  • The folks at Mozilla have taken to Twitter to tease us all about a big BIG update in Firefox for Android next week. The details are sparse (as they should be in any teasers worth their salt) only promising something fast, smart, and safe. Firefox development for Android has been steady...

Amazon Android App store coming to Europe, devs earn more cash

Amazon Android App store coming to Europe, devs earn more cash
  • Posted June 21, 2012, 6:30 PM by Lee Kaelin | Filed in Mobile Computing, Software
  • To encourage growth, Amazon has announced changes for developers submitting apps to its Android App store as well as revealing the portal will expand to European countries following the success of its US launch last March. The UK, France, Italy, Germany and Spain will get access...

Virgin Mobile to offer prepaid iPhones for as little as $30 a month

Virgin Mobile to offer prepaid iPhones for as little as $30 a month
  • Posted June 7, 2012, 4:30 PM by Matthew DeCarlo | Filed in Mobile Computing
  • Virgin Mobile has revealed that it will be the second US carrier to offer prepaid iPhones starting June 29. The news follows about one week after an announcement by Cricket Wireless, which will sell prepaid iPhones starting June 22. Both providers will sell Apple's handset contract-free...

ClamCase intros MacBook Air-like dock for Android, iOS handsets

ClamCase intros MacBook Air-like dock for Android, iOS handsets
  • Posted June 6, 2012, 6:30 PM by Matthew DeCarlo | Filed in Hardware, Mobile Computing
  • Mobile accessory maker ClamCase has unveiled a new docking system that boosts your smartphone's IQ by lending it laptop-like functionality. Although today's top-end handsets are powerful enough for basic computing tasks, their small screens and cramped software keyboards...

Weekend Open Forum: How much is your cell phone bill?

Weekend Open Forum: How much is your cell phone bill?
  • Posted June 1, 2012, 6:30 PM by Shawn Knight | Filed in WOF
  • I just got off the phone with AT&T after noticing that my monthly bill had increased by $10. The charge was coming from one of those scam SMS message companies and I was promptly given a refund. That got me…

ZTE admits Score M smartphone has backdoor, promises fix

ZTE admits Score M smartphone has backdoor, promises fix
  • Posted May 21, 2012, 4:30 PM by Matthew DeCarlo | Filed in Mobile Computing, IT Security
  • ZTE has confirmed that one of its Android-based smartphones contains a backdoor that could allow an intruder to gain full control of the device. Revealed through Pastebin on May 10, the Score M has a built-in hole to supply root access with a hardcoded password, which is readily available online...

Study: 91% of mobile game revenue comes from microtransactions

Study: 91% of mobile game revenue comes from microtransactions
  • Posted May 1, 2012, 6:11 PM by Matthew DeCarlo | Filed in Gaming, Mobile Computing
  • With titles like Angry Birds Space being downloaded by the tens of millions, it's no secret that mobile gaming is on the rise, so researcher Newzoo set out to gather specific figures in a study that included the top 200 grossing mobile games and survey results from 17,000 respondents...

Samsung posts Q1 results, overtakes Nokia's phone shipments

Samsung posts Q1 results, overtakes Nokia
  • Posted April 27, 2012, 7:30 AM by Lee Kaelin | Filed in Industry News
  • Samsung has halted Nokia's 14-year lead as the world's top phone supplier according to analysts, posting first quarter results on par with record predictions in April. Official figures for the period ending March 31 saw the electronics giant's operating profit…

IDC: 1.1 billion smart devices to ship this year, 1.84 billion by 2016

IDC: 1.1 billion smart devices to ship this year, 1.84 billion by 2016
  • Posted March 29, 2012, 7:30 AM by Matthew DeCarlo | Filed in Industry News, Mobile Computing With Video
  • Smart connected devices including computers, smartphones and tablets, shipped more than 916 million units and earned revenues of $489 billion in 2011, according to IDC. Those figures will continue climbing in the near future with a compound annual growth rate…

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